Zach Porthen Makes History with Springboks Debut
Zach Porthen's rapid rise to becoming the youngest prop forward to debut for the Springboks in the professional era is the second remarkable story from UCT's 2025 Varsity Cup winning season.
Following in the footsteps of his UCT teammate, Porthen's achievement comes after Ntokozo Makhaza, Ikey's talisman and record points scorer, signed with the Toyota Cheetahs after a successful Varsity Cup campaign.
After his UCT coach Robbie Fleck told him he’d passed his number on to Rassie Erasmus, every ring of his phone carried a world of possibility.
Makhaza waited for almost a month, anticipating a call that would change his life.
Author's summary: Porthen debuts as youngest prop forward for Springboks.